ISSUES

Valpo's Republican leadership has failed to serve the people, wasting our tax dollars on personal schemes instead of utilizing State and Federal programs that would improve our city and benefit its residents. We see this in projects like the now “on-hold” Riverwalk District, the newly-built, unaffordable luxury condos that sit empty downtown, the sports complex, funded by federal grants, that is now canceled due to poor planning, and the lack of oversight at the Brooks, causing multiple bailouts to fix one problem after another.

We need a leader who will bring Valpo the progress and shared prosperity it deserves. You can trust that as Mayor, Hannah Trueblood will address the current needs of our city and not concoct half-planned schemes that will primarily benefit a select few. As Mayor, Hannah Trueblood will ensure that our city government works for the people. When we say we are Valpo, that means we are all Valpo.

Here are the things a Trueblood administration will do for our great city:

HOUSING THAT'S AFFORDABLE

Advocate downstate for expanding the Senior Tax Credit and capping property assessments.
Incentivize developers to build reasonably priced homes and apartments for Valpo’s working and middle classes.
Connect Valpo’s teachers, nurses, and first responders with existing programs that help them fund a down payment on a home without becoming “house poor.”
Create “opportunity zones” in the city and work with residents to build value and improve their homes.

SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

Simplify city grant programs and support systems for small business owners.
Partner with the Chamber of Commerce and business mentoring groups like SCORE to help small business owners network and grow.
Create tax-incentivized districts to spur investment and reconstruction of neglected parts of the city as TIFs were initially intended.

A CLEANER, GREENER VALPO

Promote the installation of solar panels throughout the city.
Invest in upgrading broken water mains and replacing lead pipes connecting to people’s homes.
Create a Sustainability Commission.
Partner with local permaculture organizations to build rain gardens, natural habitat lots, green spaces, community gardens, and compost lots.
Incentivize restaurants to contribute to compost and alternative food waste disposal.
Connect business owners to resources to help them run cleaner, greener, and more efficiently.
Support Representative Mrvan’s Green Energy Bill to transform our energy production.

SUPPORTING OUR VETERANS

Establish a Veterans Advisory Board for the city to hear and address the concerns of our resident veterans.
Partner with organizations to help provide transportation to the local VA Clinic.
Partner with VFW, the Valpo Legion, and the other local groups to celebrate Veterans and Memorial Day.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Designate June as Pride Month and celebrate other observances such as Juneteenth, Women’s History Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month.
Partner with the World Cultural Festival to host more events celebrating our community’s diversity.
Make city materials and the city website accessible to languages other than English.
Add subtitles to all videos made for the public, and provide an American Sign Language interpreter at public city meetings.
Establish an LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and work with local community groups to foster better relations.
Make appointments to government departments that diversify perspectives and represent our whole community.
End the city’s long-standing gender wage gap for city employees.

ACCESSIBILITY

Partner with local businesses to guarantee compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Appoint an experienced ADA Compliance Officer who does not have a conflict of interest about ADA compliance to focus on addressing ADA concerns.
Work with the Parks Department and ADA Compliance Officer to ensure all city parks are ADA compliant, and invest in playground equipment that all children can enjoy.
Revive our Valpo NEXT plan to expand city sidewalks and pedestrian accessibility.
Improve safety by repairing our crumbling roads and sidewalks.
Expand bike paths in ways that protect cyclists as well as drivers.

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Co-host annual Town Halls with the city council members in each district as well as a city-wide Town Hall.
Install an accessible “Message Center” in City Hall to facilitate communication between residents and the Mayor, City Council, and City Boards.
Restructure City Council meetings to reestablish dialogue between citizens and government.
Conduct an independent financial and human resource audit and make the results available to the City Council and the public.

SMART DEVELOPMENT

Create “opportunity zones” for economic development designed to benefit the whole community and not as profit-making schemes for high-end developers.
Develop long-term strategies for healthy, sustainable growth, including updating utility systems and infrastructure.
Support city construction contracts that use union labor.
Work with the Transit Department to improve the V-Line routes and meet residents' needs.
Increase public safety by adjusting our traffic light phasing and passing ordinances that protect the pedestrian right-of-way.
Reinstate Valparaiso’s Traffic Safety Group to monitor and recommend changes to our streets that will improve safety and accessibility.
Restore our current infrastructure so that intersections, roundabouts, and sidewalks are safe and pedestrian and car traffic directions are clear.
Conduct traffic studies in residential neighborhoods that include recommendations for better cyclist and pedestrian safety.

VALPARAISO'S DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT

Recently, the City of Valparaiso was sued by a former, long-time employee, claiming she was discriminated against by the city and paid less than her male coworkers as a department head.

To read Hannah Trueblood's response to the lawsuit, click here.

To read the lawsuit, click here.